1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data encryption, and more particularly to the encryption of broadcast programs such that unauthorized clone receivers cannot easily decrypt the programs.
2. Description of the Related Art
To prevent the unauthorized viewing and/or copying of, e.g., satellite or cable pay-per-view broadcast programs by non-paying customers, such programs typically are encrypted. Authorized customers are provided with so-called "set top boxes" that decrypt the programs in accordance with decryption algorithms inside the boxes. Various billing schemes are tied to the set-top boxes or other customer identification to ensure that authorized customers are billed for the programs they receive.
While effective for blocking access to many non-paying customers, such boxes can be cloned using relatively sophisticated cloning techniques, then sold to people who can then use the clones to watch and/or copy for free the otherwise pay-per-view programs. While it is occasionally possible to discover a single clone box, most remain undetected in users' homes, leading to a loss of revenue for the broadcasters.
This loss of revenue is a growing problem, particularly with the growth of in-home digital video devices, because digital copies are perfect copies. Indeed, the growth of digital video has led to the introduction of a new digital bus standard referred to both as "Firewire" and "IFEEE 1394", which has been proposed to standardize the interconnections between a user's digital television, digital video cassette recorder (VCR), digital video disk (I)VD) player, and set-top box.
Because millions of set-top boxes might use the same decryption algorithm keys, it is not feasible to individually reprogram each authorized device with new decryption algorithm keys. Indeed, the only feasible way to reprogram millions of in-home decryption receivers of pay-per-view programs is to broadcast a new encryption algorithm key, but the unauthorized clones also receive the broadcast of the new key, leading to the classic broadcast encryption conundrum: how can authorized receivers be efficiently reprogrammed with new decryption keys while disenfranchising unauthorized clones? It is to this problem that the present invention is addressed.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an encryption system for the secure broadcasting of programs. Another object of the present invention is to provide an encryption system that can broadcast encryption updates to authorized in-home digital video devices. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an encryption system that can update the encryption algorithms of authorized in-home digital video devices while preventing known unauthorized devices from being effectively updated. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an encryption system for the secure broadcasting of programs that is easy to use and cost-effective.